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The Count and The Conjurer Entering the cave and strategizing to the best of their abilities before confronting the two figures in the darkness, the Party splits off, allowing the majority to sneak around to one side while Enders proceeds to approach under the protection of counter charm. Unfortunately however, things did not go to plan and Enders was almost immediately placed under a charm by the vampires resulting in a short lived, but rather complex battle. With a myriad of spells being thrown around, along with Enders' own wall of force protecting one of the vampires, the party found themselves hit by a massive circle of death in the vampire mage's last ditch effort to destroy them. Scraping through they manage to contain the newly misted pair and subject them to a dawn spell, evaporating their weakened forms and leaving them alone in the room with a strange glowing sphere levitating gently off the ground. Investigation revealed it to be a portal to the nine hells, specifically the third layer, and after conversing with a figure learned to be Bael, the horned general, they quickly began trying to find a way to sour the apparent relationship between the Devilish Duke and the servants of "The Mountain" believed to be Necromancer Ballar's organization. In doing so however the learn that while the Bael did have a deal with the Necromancer it was he who was approached and not the other way round, their attempts to claim Ballar was now working with the duke's enemies only confusing the hellish messages as they were after the bounty placed on Crixus by the lady of the first layer Zariel. Newly concerned with closing this portal they contacted a member of the Arcana Pansophical, PlaneRider Ryn, who along with Enders was able to traverse the portal into the nine hells, closing it from the other side, and conjure an earth elemental to destroy the beacon on the material side. The Archmage Conjurer only did so in exchange for a favor from torden however, and after a brief negotiation the group retreated to the Library of Lore before the Earth Elemental's control spell wore off. Downtime and Drowning Now safe in the library, the party was left to their devices as Ryn seemed to have business to attend to. Making their way through the halls they eventually found the Librarian/Chronomancer Tik, whom upgraded Torden's library card to that of a full petitioner. The group then spent some time doing research in the library before they headed back to Emon. Enders did some searching on Iounn The Knowing Mistress, as well as the weapons she showed him in a dream, which he learned are called the Baneblades. Markas and Crixus both did research into Gruumsh The Ruiner, with Crixus trying to learn about his Orc champions specifically. Oz tried to learn as much as he could about The Wildmother and her worship as he felt a connection to her. and Torden Firfriend attempted to learn what he could about The Uncaring and the four splinter parts that he was shattered into, as well as advanced death magic to prevent the dead from being resurrected. Once they returned to Emon with the newly gathered information in hand, the party spent some time in the city to what needed to be done, attending to personal matters and shopping for new equipment. On the second day however, Oz made his way to the beach accompanied by Markas, Crixus, and Enders. In an attempt to Commune with The Wildmother, Oz covered his gills and instructed Crixus to hold him under the water, even if he struggled. In doing so Oz began to struggle to breath, his gills not getting enough water to filter and his lungs filling with salt he began to black out. Blood and Betrayal As Oz lost consciousness in the ocean, his body began to turn to water, Crixus scrambled to pull him free, only to find fistfuls of salt. When he finally came to, he was much calmer than the rest of the party, seemingly panicked over his apparent death, but Oz himself seemed reassured, having received clarity in the water and a new understanding. Making another trip to Gilmore's Glorious Goods for another pass at shopping, the party eventually reconvened at home, having spent a needed few days in the city to relax, their leasure came to an abrupt halt when Harvey received a letter from Mogosk, informing him that another member of his old unit had been killed. Worried, Harvey contacted planerider Ryn, and the two made their way to Wildemount, using the letter as an anchor for teleportation, they found Mogosk digging a grave for his fallen friend. He explained that while they were investigating the poison used to kill the first member of the squad, the elf druid Fenhorn had been killed in his sleep. After a brief conversation Mogosk agreed to join Harvey back on Taldorei, and with the help of the party identified the poison as Wyvern poison. With careful use of a contact other plane spell, Torden learned that Harvey's team was being hunted by scourgers, elite assassins from Wildemount. New information in hand, the party eventually went to bed for the night, offering a spare room to Mogosk, hoping to keep him save from the people hunting his unit. With good intentions they went to sleep, only for Mogosk to sneak out of his room and into Harveys, a poison dagger in his hand as he stabbed directing into the Kenku's neck. Ravagers and Reunions Awoken to the sound of shattering glass, the party quickly burst their way into Harvey's bedroom to find him dead, the busted window the only trace of the fleeing Half-Orc Mogosk. Assessing the situation as quickly as they could, the party was able to begin a resurrection ritual to bring Harvey back, as he was out of range of the raise dead spell. From the other side Harvey begins to hear his friends calling to him as he eventually is pulled back to the land of the living. Healed and Restored, the party confirms Mogosk is heading east, and settles in a secured room to finish their long rest, everyone a bit on edge with the surprise attack. When morning finally comes, Torden sets off to focus on building himself a small clockwork to handle dictation of his new book, and Enders borrows the helmet of teleportation to visit Westruun, having received a message from former comrade Ulfrik Shattenlied. Upon arrival the party (minus Torden who stayed behind) make their way to a familiar inn, walking inside and coming face to face with the band of mercenaries the city contracted to fight the growing ravager threat, and Ulfriks new friends. The Merry Whistle Mercs. Spirits in the Shadowfell After a brief reunion with Ulfrik and the rest of the party, they returned to their home in Emon. Oz took some time to scry on his former love Aileen, and then his mother. He learned that his family had improved their financial situation by engaging Oz's brother Elijah to Aileen and using her dowry to fix things. Heart broken he bought a ring hoping he could propose before the wedding and win her back, having not contacted her in a year. The party then contacted Arcanist Allura Vysoren and got her to negotiate with planerider Ryn to stop scamming the party for favors and just take them to the shadowfell. Once they entered, Harvey could see the strings of fate connecting him and the rest of his party and the world, as well as the string that connected him to his bow Absolution. Following the thread of fate forward they came upon a small spirit light that lead them deeper into the shadowfell to a ruined run down bridge, attempting to cross it, Harvey came face to face with the river guardian spirit, a skeletal man coated in a fluid as deep black and speckled with light like the light sky. He asked why Harvey pressed forward as the massive creature loomed over him.